Aramco Ventures backs Mitti Labs to modernize Asian rice farming

Mitti Labs combines satellite radar imagery with proprietary field data to build digital twins of smallholder rice farms. By monitoring soil moisture and flooding patterns, the startup helps farmers transition to alternate irrigation practices. According to co-founder Xavier Laguarta, these methods can cut water consumption by 40% and methane emissions by over 50% without compromising crop yields. The platform also enables farmers to generate carbon credits, creating a new income stream that bolsters the project's viability.

The company has expanded rapidly, growing from a base of 8,000 farmers in 2024 to more than 100,000 this season. With a workforce of 150 employees, Mitti Labs now counts entities like Ebro Foods and Syngenta among its clients. This latest capital injection brings the company's total funding to $12.5 million, providing the resources needed for an expansion into the Philippines later this year, followed by Indonesia and wider Southeast Asian markets by 2027. For Aramco Ventures, the deal represents its first investment in an Indian startup, signaling a strategic interest in methane mitigation and agricultural AI technologies.